Be sure to include your name, daytime phone number, address, name and phone number of legal next-of-kin, method of payment, and the name of the funeral home/crematory to contact for verification of death.

New Q39 draws upon owners’ barbecue, restaurant experience

is new, pitmaster/chef Rob Magee is no stranger to the barbecue pit and the restaurant industry.

Magee has cooked award-winning competition barbecue for more than a decade. He is a Culinary Institute of America graduate with more than 30 years experience in restaurants. Magee can deliver consistently delicious competition quality barbecue, creative sides and desserts in a high volume environment.

I counted 26 craft beers, eight draft beers, 11 white wines and 16 red wines in Q39’s full service bar inventory. The beer and wine menu is varied enough to inspire Magee and co-owner/spouse Kelly to train the wait staff as cicerones and sommeliers.

The apple coleslaw is a hit with fans of sweet coleslaw. The onion straws and fries are top notch, and Magee’s white bean cassoulet rivals the best in France.

We gave the brisket and pulled pork the highest scores you can give at a Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) sanctioned competition. The ribs got top scores from three of us, but I knocked off a flavor point. Although tender and beautiful, the sweet seasonings overpowered the natural umami of the meat and crossed out any smoke flavor. That said, most KCBS Certified judges would give Q39 ribs high scores. Magee knows what judges like.

Our desserts were delicious and entertaining: cheesecake with caramel/chocolate sauce, and doughnuts with chocolate sauce and raspberry sauce. The doughnuts arrived with a spicy barbecue sauce instead of chocolate sauce.

Unconvinced, but on the strength of their insistence he tried another.

“Still tastes like barbecue sauce!”

Dianne and Gretchen tried the raspberry sauce first and loved it. When they tried the “chocolate” sauce they both exclaimed, “This

is

barbecue sauce!”

We called it to the attention of general manager Ronnie Martinez, who politely removed the doughnut platter and returned soon with fresh donuts, real chocolate sauce and apologies for the mix-up. We shared a good laugh with Martinez and thanked him.

As one who likes barbecue sauce on many foods, including ice cream and cantaloupe, I’m OK with the doughnut and barbecue sauce pairing, but Jerry, Dianne and Gretchen say, “No way.”

The Q39 waitstaff is friendly, knowledgeable and competent. Managers truly care about customer satisfaction and are attentive to details. Q39 is worth your time and money. I wish Rob and Kelly Magee and staff the best.

There’s a lot more on the menu I want to try. I’ll be back.

Q30 is located at 1000 W. 39th St., just west of Southwest Trafficway.

Ardie Davis is an iconic figure in the barbecue community. He founded a sauce contest on his backyard patio in 1984 that became the American Royal International Barbecue Sauce, Rub Baste contest. He is a charter member of the Kansas City Barbeque Society and an inductee into the KCBS’s Hall of Flame. He has been interviewed on numerous food shows and writes for a variety of barbecue-related publications. He is also the author of a number of barbecue books, His most recent release book is “America’s Best BBQ Homestyle: What Champions Cook in Their Own Backyards.”

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